Embalming



Patented Mar. 28, 1939 EMBG Hilton Ira Jones,

Wilmette, Ill., assignor to The f Naselmo Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 'No Drawing: Application February 10, 1986, Serial No. 63,211

3Claims.

My invention relates to embalming and has to do more particularly with embalming of bodies from the outside. My invention is especially valuable in the art of embalming human bodies.

5 It has heretofore been recognized that if a body is surrounded by a heavy concentration of inert gas, such as carbon dioxide, so as to displace the oxygen present in body tissues, decomposition, which is largely due to the activity of aerobic bacteria, is substantially arrested. However, it has been found very inconvenient to build up a sufficient concentration of a non-oxidizing gas without the creation of excessive pressures within the receptacle housing the body.

It has also been suggested that solid paraformaldehyde be placed in the casket with the body so as to produce external embalming by means of the formaydehyde gas which is slowly formed. This procedure, however, has been found unsatisfactory for the reason that formaldehyde is extremely soluble in water. and, by reason of the large quantity of moisture given on by a body, a great proportion of the formaldehyde is absorbed in such moisture, saturating the clothing and lining of the casket and leaving relatively little formaldehyde available to act on the body tissues.

Aside from the above mentioned disadvantages, neither carbon dioxide nor formaldehyde is efiective in preventing mold which frequently occurs on the surface of a body enclosed in a casket.

An object of my invention is to provide a solid composition of matter which, when placed in a sealed container with a dead body, i. e., a casket or vault, will produce a sufficiently heavy concentration of an inert gas to displace the oxygen of the body and inhibit the activity of the aerobic bacteria, while being insufiicient to build up a bursting pressure within the container, and at the same time substantially desiccating the atmosphere within the chamber, providing an embalming gas which will harden the tissues from the outside inwardly, and also preventing the formation of mold.

The above and other objects are accomplished by means of a compound comprising a desiccating agent and another substance which will react with'said agent to produce an inert gas. Thus, 50 I preferably use anhydrous aluminum sulphate and a readily decomposable carbonate such as, for example, an alkali or alkaline earth carbonate or bicarbonate, the preferred substance, for economy, being sodium bicarbonate. In the presence of the moisture given ofi by the body these compounds react to liberate carbon dioxide and to desiccate the atmosphere as follows:

The improved embalming compound also includes, according to my invention, solid paraformaldehyde, which liberates formaldehyde gas and, in the desiccated atmosphere provided by 10 the reagents mentioned above, is free to attack the tissues of the body from the outside and-embalm them.

According to my invention, I preferably include in the composition paradichlorbenzene. This material is very eflective to prevent the growth of mold.

It will be understood, of course, that the desiccating agent and gas-forming substance are provided in stoichiometric proportions and in a preferred embodiment I use about 34.2 parts by weight of anhydrous aluminum sulphate to 50.4 parts of sodium bicarbonate. My improved composition in its preferred embodiment comprises one-third of this mixture, one-third paraformaldehyde, and one-third of paradichlorbenzene, the parts being by weight. The proportions of the last two substances may vary considerably with regard to each other and with regard to the material providing the desiccation and the inert gas, which of course, are preferably in stoichiometric proportions, as stated above.

My improved composition has numerous advantages 'llhus, it is a solid composition which in small bulk may be placed inside a casket before the same is sealed without being conspicious; it does not attack any of the fabrics lining the casket or clothing of the body; it effectively embalms the body within a reasonably short time and promptly arrests decomposition of the outer 40 tissues by displacing the oxygen present therein, without danger of bursting the casket; the paradichlorbenzene, besides preventing growth of mold greatly mollifies the pungent odor of the formaldehyde. i

Variations coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and hence my invention should be limited only to the extent indicated by the appended claims, which should be interpreted as 50 broadly as the state of the art will permit.

I claim:

In the art of preservation, a desiccating composition which upon taking up water liberates carbon dioxide comprising an anhydrous- 56 acidic desiccating agent and a compound selected consisting of alkali and alkaline earth carbonates from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline and bicarbonates. earth carbonates and bicarbonates. In the art oipres'ervation, a desiccating com- 2. Intheartot preservation, adesiccating composition which upon taking up water liberates position which upon taking up water liberates carbon dioxide gas comprising anhydrous alumi- 5 carbon dioxide comprising anhydrous-aluminum num sulphate and sodium bicarbonate. sulphate and a compound selected from the group m'ron IRA JONES. 

